My hasting days fly on with full career, But my "me to throw it off, if there were nothing else in it but an "affected nd fruitless curiosity "of knowing; and then a na"tural desire of honour and re"nown, which I think possesses "the breast of every scholar, as "well of him that shall, as of "him that never shall obtain it, "(if this be altogether bad,) "which would quickly oversway "this phlegm and melancholy of bashfulness, or that other humour, and prevail with me to prefer a life, that had at least some credit in it, some place given it, before a manner of living much disregarded and "discountenanced. There is be"sides this, as all well know, "about this time of a man's life, "good, and more prone affec"tions of nature to incline and "dispose, not counting outward causes, as expectations and "murmurs of friends, scandals "taken, and such like, than the "bare love of notions could re"sist. So that if it be that "which you suppose, it had by "this been round about begirt " and overmastered, whether it "had proceeded from virtue, "vice, or nature in me. Yet "that you may see that I am some time suspicious of my"self, and do take notice of a "certain belatedness in me, I "am the bolder to send you "some of my nightward thoughts some while since, since they come in fitly, in a Petrarchian thing more cross than my way, which my wasting youth "would presently bethink her 66 of, and kill one love with an66 other, if that were all. But what delight or what peculiar "conceit, may you in charity "think, could hold out against "the long knowledge of a con were yesterday especially, as a "good watchman to admonish "that the hours of the night pass on, (for so I call my life as yet obscure and unservice"able to mankind,) and that the trary command from above, 'day with me is at hand, wherein " and the terrible seisure of him "Christ commands all to labour "that hid his talent? Therefore "while there is light: which "commit grace to grace, or na"because I am persuaded you ture to nature, there will be "do to no other purpose, than "found on the other way more "out of a true desire that God "obvious temptations to bad, "should be honoured in every "as gain, preferment, ambition, Ione, I therefore think myself more winning presentments of "bound, though unasked, to Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth, That I to manhood am arriv'd so near, I give you account, as oft as "occasion is, of this my tardy moving, according to the pre"cept of my conscience, which "I firmly trust is not without "God. Yet now I will not "strain for any set apology, but "only refer myself to what my tr mind shall have at any time to "declare herself at her best ease. "But if you think, as you said, 66 66 that too much love of learning "is in fault, and that I have given up myself to dream away my years in the arms of studious retirement, like Endy"mion with the moon as the "tale of Latmus goes; yet con"sider that if it were no more but the mere love of learning, "whether it proceed from a principle bad, good, or natural, "it could not have held out "thus long against so strong opposition on the other side "of every kind; for if it be bad, why should not all the fond "hopes that forward youth and vanity are fledge with, together "with gain, pride, and ambi"tion, call me forward more powerfully, than a poor regardless and unprofitable sin "of curiosity should be able to " withhold me, whereby a man "cuts himself off from all "action, and becomes the most "helpless, pusillanimous, and "unweaponed creature in the "world, the most unfit and "unable to do that which all "mortals most aspire to, either "to be useful to his friends, or "to offend his enemies. Or if "it be to be thought a natural proneness, there is against 66 5 And inward ripeness doth much less appear, That some more timely-happy spirits indu'th. Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow, It shall be still in strictest measure even "to undergo, but keeps off with a sacred reverence and religi"ous advisement how best to undergo; not taking thought " of being late, so it give advan"tage to be more fit; for those "that were latest lost nothing, "when the master of the vineIyard came to give each one "his hire. And here I am come to a stream-head copious enough to disburthen itself like Nilus at seven mouths "into an ocean; but then I ❝ should also run into a recipro"cal contradiction of ebbing "and flowing at once, and do "that which I excuse myself for "not doing, preach and not preach. Yet that you may see "that I am something suspicious "of myself, and do take notice "of a certain belatedness in me, "I am the bolder to send 66 10 "me as I am, lest having thus "tired you singly, I should deal "worse with a whole congrega"tion, and spoil all the patience "of a parish: for I myself do "not only see my own tedious"ness, but now grow offended "with it, that has hindered me "thus long from coming to the "last and best period of my let"ter, and that which must now chiefly work my pardon, that "I am your true and unfeigned "friend." 2. Stol'n on his wing my three and twentieth year!] Mr. Bowle cites Shakespeare, All's well that ends well, act v. s. 2. -On our quick'st decrees Steals, ere we can effect them. you some of my nightward And Mr. Warton, Juvenal, Sat. thoughts some while since, "because they come in not altogether unfitly, made up in "a Petrarchian stanza, which I " told you of. ix. 128. -dum bibimus, dum serta, unguenta, puellas Poscimus, obrepit non intellecta se nectus. But the application of steal in this sonnet, as Mr. Warton reIn Shakemarks, is different. speare and Juvenal, Time and Old Age come imperceptibly upon us and our purposes. In Milton, Time as imperceptibly and silently carries off on his wing, in his flight, the poet's twenty-third year. E. Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven; All is, if I have grace to use it so, As ever in my great Task-Master's eye. VIII. When the assault was intended to the City.* CAPTAIN or Colonel, or Knight in arms, Whose chance on these defenceless doors may seize, Guard them, and him within protect from harms. * To this sonnet we have prefixed the title, which the author himself has in the Manuscript. In the Manuscript this sonnet was written by another hand, and had this title, On his door when the City expected an assault : but this he scratched out, and wrote with his own hand, When the assault was intended to the City. The date was also added, 1642, but blotted out again: and it was in November, 1642, that the King marched with his army as near as Brentford, and put the city in great consternation. Milton was then in his thirty-fourth year. 1. Knight in arms,] So Shakespeare, K. Richard II. act i. s. 3. where Bolingbroke enters, "" appellant in armour." 5 10 K. Rich. Marshal, ask yonder knight in arms. T. Warton. 3. If deed of honour did thee ever please,] So this verse is printed in the second edition in the year 1673. In the first edition of 1645, and in the Manuscript, it stands thus, If ever deed of honour did thee please. 10. The great Emathian conqueror &c.] When Alexander the Great took Thebes, and entirely rased the rest of the city, he ordered the house of Pindar to be preserved out of regard to his memory: and the ruins of Pindar's house were to be seen at Thebes, in Pausanias's time, who lived under Antoninus the philosopher. See Pausan. Boot. cap. 25. edit. Kuhnii. The house of Pindarus, when temple' and tow'r Went to the ground: and the repeated air Of sad Electra's poet had the pow'r To save th' Athenian walls from ruin bare. IX. To a virtuous young Lady. LADY, that in the prime of earliest youth 11. temple and tow'r] See Electra, oh unhappy queen! This struck them, and ἡγεμόνων παρα ποτον, καί τινος Φως κέως άσαντος εκ της Ευριπίδου Ηλε κτρας την παροδον, ής ή αρχή, green, Αγαμέμνονος ω πορά, ηλυθον Ηλεκτρα Παντας επικλασθήναι, και φανηναι 12. The lines of Euripides are at v. 168. It appears, however, that Lysander ordered the walls and fortifications to be demolished. See Plutarch. Opp. tom. ii. Vit. p. 807. Par. 1572. 8vo. By the epithet sad, Milton denominates the pathetic character of Euripides. Repeated signifies recited. But it has been ingeniously suggested, that the epithet sad belongs to Electra, who very often calls herself OIKTPA, TAAAINA, &c. in Euripides's play; and says, that all the city gave her the same appellation, κικλήσκουσι δε μ' ΑΘΛΙΑΝ Ηλεκ τραν πολιηται." T. Warton. 14. To save th' Athenian walls by ruin bare.] See our author's Psalm vii. 60. Fall on his crown with ruin steep. The meaning in both instances is obvious and similar. This is one of Milton's best Sonnets. T. Warton. |